For such a talented quarterback, Carson Palmer has had a rough career.

He was picked first overall in 2003 by the Cincinnati Bengals. In just his second year as the starter in 2005, he led the league with 32 touchdown passes and the Bengals won the AFC North. He opened his first playoff game with a 66-yard pass to Chris Henry. But Kimo von Oelhoffen hit Palmer low after the pass, and he suffered a serious knee injury.

He returned to play all 16 games in the next two years, but led the league in picks in 2007. He played only four games in 2008 due to an injured elbow. He led the Bengals back to the playoffs in 2009, but threw for just 146 yards and completed half his passes in a loss to the Jets. He actually decided to retire after the 2010 season. He finished his time in Cincinnati with a 46-51 record.

Panthers crush Cardinals to set up Super Bowl with Denver Broncos

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He came out of retirement to join the Oakland Raiders, but he went just 8-16 in two seasons there. In Arizona, he went 10-6 in his first year. He started the 2014 season 6-0 before tearing his ACL again. Like he did after his last knee injury, he was able to return and play 16 games. In 2015, he enjoyed the finest season of his career: 4,671 yards, 35 touchdowns, a league-leading 8.7 yards per attempt and the best QBR in the league.

After Sunday’s game ended, Palmer probably wanted to bury his head in his hands. He was harassed by the Panthers’ front four all game, and he turned the ball over six times as Carolina obliterated the Cardinals, 49-15. “I was definitely forcing it,” Palmer told reporters after the game. “I kept digging us a hole we couldn’t get out of.” Putting an exclamation point on the game, Palmer’s fourth interception was returned by Luke Kuechly for a touchdown.

But the mess actually got out of hand early. Carolina’s front four dominated from the opening possession. They pressured Palmer all game: in the first half alone, the Panthers had two sacks, four QB hits and seven knockdowns. Of the four Cardinals turnovers in the first half, three were Palmer’s.

A late turnover in the first half by Palmer was the backbreaker. The Panthers had taken advantage of a muffed punt by Patrick Peterson to take a 24-7 lead. Palmer fumbled it away on the next possession, but two plays later Peterson made amends by picking off a Newton pass and returning it to the Carolina 22 with 56 seconds left in the first half. As bad as they’d played in the first half, the Cardinals were set up well to be down just 10 at half-time.

But Palmer didn’t see safety Kurt Coleman lurking in the center of the field on the very next play. Coleman picked it off in the end zone, and the Panthers went into halftime with the 17-point lead. It was a huge mistake from Palmer; Coleman was playing center field on the play and only backed up 10 yards on it.

“Our fans take this personally and they should,” Palmer said. “I hate that I let them down. That’s part of the reason it hurts so bad.”

On the other sideline, Cam Newton looked like the NFL MVP. He threw for 335 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for 47 yards and two scores. When the Cardinals cut it to a 19-point deficit early in the fourth quarter, Newton led the Panthers on a nine-play, 84 yard drive that took up 6:12 and sealed the game with his second touchdown pass. In a battle of first overall picks, Newton was clearly superior.

Palmer now has a 1-3 career record in playoffs, and has a justified reputation as a guy who implodes in the playoffs. He’s 36. This was his best shot to turn that around and make the Super Bowl. Instead, he has a long offseason to think about what could have been.